The invention relates generally to entryway units and more specifically to entryway units that combine a door with sidelights. In particular, the invention relates to entryway units that combine a door having a curved glazing unit with sidelights having complementary curved glazing units.
Entryway units combine a door with one or more sidelight panels. This can form the illusion of a larger door, which can be considered as more attractive than a smaller entryway unit having only a door. In particular, entryway units that are formed by combining a door with two sidelight panels, one on each side of the door, are considered to be particularly attractive.
Entryway units can be manufactured using a stock selection of doors, sidelight panels and glazing units. Door and sidelight panels can be rectangular and can include a variety of stamped or embossed patterns. In particular, door and sidelight panels can incorporate square and rectangular patterns. Glazing units can be square or rectangular to complement the rectilinear patterns stamped or embossed into the door or sidelight panel.
The circle is considered to be a highly desirable design element. There have been attempts to incorporate the circle into an entryway unit. This includes doors having circular glazing units. Other previous attempts have included entryway units having angled units with angled edges in both the door and in each of the sidelight panels.
The present invention is directed to entryway units that combine non-circular elements to form an entryway unit that suggests a circle. The entryway unit can include a door and one or more sidelight panels. The non-circular elements can include glazing units.
Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention is found in an entryway unit that includes a first sidelight panel having a first glazing unit that has a curved edge with a first radius of curvature, a second sidelight panel having a second glazing unit that has a curved edge with a second radius of curvature, and a door located between the first and second sidelight panels. The door includes a third glazing unit that has a curved edge with a third radius of curvature.
The curved edges of the first and second glazing units together define in part a first circle and the curved edge of the third glazing unit defines in part a second circle. A larger of the first circle and the second circle has a diameter that is within about 200% of a diameter of a smaller of the first circle and the second circle. One of the first and second circles lies within the other of the first and second circles, and the diameter of the first circle and the diameter of the second circle are each less than a width of the entryway unit. An uppermost point of the first circle is within several inches of an uppermost point of the second circle.
Another embodiment of the present invention can be found in an entryway unit that includes a first sidelight panel having a first sidelight panel glazing unit, a second sidelight panel having a second sidelight panel glazing unit and a door having a door glazing unit, the door being arranged between the first sidelight panel and the second sidelight panel. The first sidelight panel glazing unit, the second sidelight panel glazing unit and the door glazing unit can each have a curved edge, with the curved edges appearing to lie on a single circle that has a diameter that is less than a width of the entryway unit.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and drawings.